Search

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on general practitioners’ (GP) care for patients with asthma and/or COPD is largely unknown. To describe the impact of the pandemic on asthma or COPD-related GP care, we analysed routinely recorded electronic health records data from Dutch general practices and out-of-hours (OOH) services. During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020), the contact rates for asthma and/or COPD were significantly lower in GP practices and OOH services compared with the pre-pandemic period (2019) (respectively, 15% lower and 28% lower). The proportion of telephone contacts increased significantly with 13%-point in GP practices and 12%-point at OOH services, while the proportion of face-to-face contacts decreased. Furthermore, the proportion of high urgent contacts with OOH services decreased by 8.5%-point. To conclude, the overall contact rates in GP practices and OOH services decreased, while more contacts were remote. Lower contact rates have, after a short follow-up, not resulted in more patients with exacerbations in OOH care. However, this might still be expected after a longer follow-up.

Objectives The aim was to identify, appraise, and synthesize the scientific evidence of the relationship between potential occupational sensitizing exposures and the development of asthma based on systematic reviews. Methods The study was conducted as an overview of systematic reviews. A systematic literature search was conducted for systematic reviews published up to 9 February 2020. Eligibility study criteria included persons in or above the working age, potential occupational sensitizing exposures, and outcomes defined as asthma. Potential occupational sensitizing exposures were divided into 23 main groups comprising both subgroups and specific exposures. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted study data, assessed study quality, and evaluated confidence in study results and level of evidence of the relationship between potential occupational sensitizing exposures and asthma. Results Twenty-seven systematic reviews were included covering 1242 studies and 486 potential occupational sensitizing exposures. Overall confidence in study results was rated high in three systematic reviews, moderate in seven reviews, and low in 17 reviews. Strong evidence for the main group of wood dusts and moderate evidence for main groups of mites and fish was found. For subgroups/specific exposures, strong evidence was found for toluene diisocyanates, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and work tasks involving exposure to laboratory animals, whereas moderate evidence was found for 52 subgroups/specific exposures. Conclusions This overview identified hundreds of potential occupational sensitizing exposures suspected to cause asthma and evaluated the level of evidence for each exposure. Strong evidence was found for wood dust in general and for toluene diisocyanates, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and work tasks involving exposure to laboratory animals.

The increasing prevalence of reported annoyances in the indoor environment threatens public health. This study aimed to investigate the association between perceived annoyances from the home environment and respiratory infections among individuals with and without asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A total of 16,688 individuals from the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey initiated in 2000 were grouped according to their patterns of perceived annoyances. Information on respiratory infections (all causes, bacterial, viral, and those leading to hospital admissions) was obtained from Danish registers up to 19 years after the survey. Poisson regression of incidence rates (IRs) was applied to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs). Annoyances significantly increased the IR for respiratory infections of all causes and bacterial respiratory infections in individuals without asthma or COPD, adjusted IRR 1.16 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.34) and 1.15 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.31), respectively. However, no difference was observed for viral respiratory infections nor hospital admissions. Individuals with asthma or COPD and a high level of annoyances had a non-significantly increased IR in all four analyses of respiratory infections. These findings provide support for perceived annoyances as an important risk factor for respiratory infections.

Over 20 years ago, the concept of asthma control was created and appropriate measurement tools were developed and validated. Loss of asthma control can lead to an exacerbation. Years ago, the term "clinically significant asthma exacerbation" was introduced to define when a loss of control is severe enough to declare it an asthma exacerbation. This term is also used by health insurances to determine when an exacerbation is eligible for reimbursement of biologics in clinical practice, however, it sometimes becomes apparent that a clear separation between loss of "asthma control" and an exacerbation is not always possible. In this review, we attempt to justify why exacerbations in early allergic asthma and adult eosinophilic asthma can differ significantly and why this is important in clinical practice as well as when dealing with health insurers.

Eczema and asthma are allergic diseases and two of the commonest chronic conditions in high-income countries. Their co-existence with other allergic conditions is common, but little research exists on wider multimorbidity with these conditions. We set out to identify and compare clusters of multimorbidity in people with eczema or asthma and people without. Using routinely-collected primary care data from the U.K. Clinical Research Practice Datalink GOLD, we identified adults ever having eczema (or asthma), and comparison groups never having eczema (or asthma). We derived clusters of multimorbidity from hierarchical cluster analysis of Jaccard distances between pairs of diagnostic categories estimated from mixed-effects logistic regressions. We analysed 434,422 individuals with eczema (58% female, median age 47 years) and 1,333,281 individuals without (55% female, 47 years), and 517,712 individuals with asthma (53% female, 44 years) and 1,601,210 individuals without (53% female, 45 years). Age at first morbidity, sex and having eczema/asthma affected the scope of multimorbidity, with women, older age and eczema/asthma being associated with larger morbidity clusters. Injuries, digestive, nervous system and mental health disorders were more commonly seen in eczema and asthma than control clusters. People with eczema and asthma of all ages and both sexes may experience greater multimorbidity than people without eczema and asthma, including conditions not previously recognised as contributing to their disease burden. This work highlights areas where there is a critical need for research addressing the burden and drivers of multimorbidity in order to inform strategies to reduce poor health outcomes.

Publisher Copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) and Portuguese Journal of Pediatrics 2022. Introduction: Temperature and relative humidity affect health, particularly the respiratory system. Children represent a risk group, due to immature systems and continual development. The present study aimed to analyze the effects of temperature and relative humidity on hospitalizations of children due to asthma exacerbations and respiratory infections. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed administrative data from patients with respiratory infections and/or asthma exacerbations who were admitted to the pediatric service in a central hospital from 2018 to 2020. Pearson and Spearman correlations, Student t test, analysis of variance, and the equivalent non-parametric tests were used to describe the association between environmental factors, such as temperature and relative humidity, on children hospitalizations due to asthma exacerbations and acute respiratory infections. Negative binomial regression was used to model the daily expected hospitalizations. Results: This study was conducted on a total of 369 clinical records of primary and secondary discharge diagnoses related to 338 children. In 2020, there was a decline in admissions, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The viral lower respiratory infections, asthma, upper respiratory infections, and non-viral lower respiratory infections accounted for 51.2%, 17.9%, 16.3%, and 14.6% of recorded diagnoses, respectively. The mean ± standard deviation of daily temperature and relative humidity was 14.8ºC ± 4.0ºC and 77.7% ± 12.7%, respectively. A negative correlation was found with maximum temperature (p = 0.012), and a positive correlation was observed with mean relative humidity (p = 0.045). There was a significant association between viral lower respiratory infections and hospitalizations, which increased with the mean temperatures < 10.0ºC and relative humidity > 86.67%. Finally, our best model showed a negative correlation between daily mean temperature and hospitalizations (incidence rate ratio = 0.989). Conclusion: Cold and humidity were associated with hospitalizations for asthma and respiratory infections. Further studies with other variables (eg pollutants) may identify other factors more precisely and advocate prevention and health planning. publishersversion published

Background: Asthma has a significant impact on people of all ages, particularly children. A lack of universally accepted case definition and confirmatory tests and a poor understanding of major risks interfere with a global response. We aimed to provide global estimates of asthma prevalence and cases in 2019 across four main epidemiological case definitions - current wheezing, ever wheezing, current asthma, and ever asthma. We further investigated major associated factors to determine regional and national distributions of prevalence and cases for current wheezing and ever asthma.Methods: We identified relevant population-based studies published between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2019. Using a multilevel multivariable mixed-effects meta-regression model, we assessed the age- and sex-adjusted associations of asthma with study-level variables, including year, setting, region and socio-demographic index (SDI). Using a random-effects meta-analysis, we then identified risk factors for current wheezing and asthma. From a "risk factor-based model", which included current smoking, and biomass exposure for current wheezing, and rural setting, current smoking, biomass exposure, and SDI for ever asthma, we estimated case numbers and prevalence across regions and 201 countries and territories in 2019.Results: 220 population-based studies conducted in 88 countries were retained. In 2019, the global prevalence estimates of asthma in people aged 5-69 years by various definitions, namely current wheezing, ever wheezing, current asthma, and ever asthma were 11.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 9.1-14.3), 17.9% (95% CI = 14.2-22.3), 5.4% (95% CI = 3.2-9.0) and 9.8% (95% CI = 7.8-12.2), respectively. These translated to 754.6 million (95% CI = 599. 7-943.4), 1181.3 million (95% CI = 938.0-1,471.0), 357.4 million (95% CI = 213.0-590.8), 645.2 million (95% CI = 513.1-806.2) cases, respectively. The overall prevalence of current wheezing among people aged 5-69 years was the highest in the African Region at 13.2% (95% CI = 10.5-16.5), and the lowest in the Americas Region at 10.0% (95% CI = 8.0-12.5). For ever asthma, the estimated prevalence in those aged 5-69 years was also the highest in the African Region at 11.3% (95% CI = 9.0-14.1), but the lowest in South-East Asia Region (8.8, 95% CI = 7.0-11.0).Conclusions: Although varying approaches to case identification in different settings make epidemiological estimates of asthma very difficult, this analysis reaffirms asthma as a common global respiratory condition before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, with higher prevalence than previously reported in many world settings.

Background:Asthma and mental disorders frequently co-occur. Studies of their comorbidity have generally focused on associations related to a subset of mental disorders. Objective:To estimate bidirectional associations between asthma and 10 broad types of mental disorders. Methods:In a population-based cohort study, including all individuals born in Denmark between 1955 and 2011 (N = 5,053,471), we considered diagnoses of comorbid mental disorders among those with asthma, and vice versa, between 2000 and 2016. We used Cox regression models to calculate overall and time-dependent hazard ratios for mental disorder-asthma pairs and competing-risks survival analyses to estimate absolute risks. Results:Altogether, 376,756 individuals were identified as having an incident mental disorder and 364,063 incident asthma during follow-up. An increased risk was seen for all bidirectional mental disorder-asthma pairs. Following an asthma diagnosis, adjusted hazard ratios for different subsequent mental disorders ranged from 1.75 (95% CI, 1.64-1.87) for organic disorders to 2.75 (95% CI, 2.69-2.81) for personality disorders. Following a prior mental disorder diagnosis, hazard ratios for asthma ranged from 1.06 (95% CI, 1.00-1.12) for developmental disorders to 2.33 (95% CI, 2.28-2.39) for substance use disorders. Risks varied with time since prior disorder diagnosis but remained elevated. Cumulative incidence of (1) asthma after a mental disorder and (2) a mental disorder after asthma was higher in those with prior disorders than in matched reference groups. Conclusions:Our findings provide evidence of bidirectional associations between asthma and each of the mental disorder types, suggesting possible shared etiological factors or pathophysiologic processes.

Lactic acidosis is a common complication of status asthmaticus in adults. However, data is sparse in children. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and risk factors for lactic acidosis in children hospitalised for acute moderate or severe asthma. A total of 154 children 2–17 years of age were enrolled in a prospective observational study conducted in a tertiary hospital. All had capillary blood gas assessment 4 h after the first dose of salbutamol in hospital. The primary endpoint was the prevalence of lactic acidosis. Potential contributing factors such as age, sex, BMI, initial degree of asthma severity, type of salbutamol administration (nebuliser or inhaler), steroids, ipratropium bromide, and glucose-containing maintenance fluid represented secondary endpoints. All in all, 87% of patients had hyperlactatemia (lactate concentration > 2.2 mmol/l). Lactic acidosis (lactate concentration > 5 mmol/l and anion gap ≥ 16 mmol/l) was observed in 26%. In multivariate analysis, age more than 6 years (OR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.2–6.6), glycemia above 11 mmol/l (OR = 3.2 95% CI 1.4–7.4), and salbutamol administered by nebuliser (OR = 10, 95% CI 2.7–47) were identified as risk factors for lactic acidosis in children with moderate or severe asthma.Conclusion: Lactic acidosis is a frequent and early complication of acute moderate or severe asthma in children. What is Known:• Lactic acidosis during acute asthma is associated with b2-mimetics administration.• Salbutamol-related lactic acidosis is self-limited but important to recognise, as compensatory hyperventilation of lactic acidosis can be mistaken for respiratory worsening and lead to inappropriate supplemental bronchodilator administration.What is New:• Lactic acidosis is a frequent complication of acute asthma in the paediatric population.• Age older than 6 years, hyperglycaemia, and nebulised salbutamol are risk factors for lactic acidosis during asthma.

Background and ObjectivesEpilepsy and depression share a bidirectional relationship; however, its magnitude and long-term temporal association remain to be elucidated. This study investigates the magnitude and long-term association between epilepsy and depression, comparing with the risks of the 2 disorders after another chronic medical illness (asthma).MethodsIn a nationwide register-based matched cohort study, we identified all individuals who received a first diagnosis of epilepsy, depression, and asthma from January 1, 1980, to December 31, 2016. We used a Cox regression model to estimate the risk of epilepsy after depression and vice versa and the risk of epilepsy or depression after asthma, compared with healthy references matched on age and sex, adjusting for medical comorbidity, substance abuse, and calendar time. Results were stratified by epilepsy subtype. We furthermore investigated the risk of admission with acute seizures for persons with epilepsy who became depressed.ResultsIn a population of 8,741,955 individuals, we identified 139,014 persons with epilepsy (54% males, median age at diagnosis 43 years [inter quartile range (IQR) 17–65 years]), 219,990 persons with depression (37% males, median age at diagnosis 43 years [IQR 29–60 years]), and 358,821 persons with asthma (49% males, median age at diagnosis 29 years [IQR 6–56 years]). The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of depression after epilepsy was 1.88 (95% CI 1.82–1.95), and the aHR of epilepsy after depression was 2.35 (95% CI 2.25–2.44). The aHR of depression after asthma was 1.63 (95% CI 1.59–1.67) and that of epilepsy after asthma, 1.48 (95% CI 1.44–1.53). The risk of depression was highest in the few years preceding and after an epilepsy diagnosis, and vice versa, but remained elevated during the entire follow-up period for both directions of the association. There was no evidence of a stronger association with depression for any epilepsy subtype. Receiving a diagnosis of depression subsequent to an epilepsy diagnosis was associated with a 1.20-fold (95% CI 1.07–1.36) increased HR of acute hospital admission with seizures.DiscussionWe identified a long-term bidirectional relationship between depression and epilepsy in a large-scale cohort study. Risk estimates were higher than those of epilepsy or depression after asthma.

Purpose: The Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia (RHINESSA) cohort was established to (1) investigate how exposures before conception and in previous generations influence health and disease, particularly allergies and respiratory health, (2) identify susceptible time windows and (3) explore underlying mechanisms. The ultimate aim is to facilitate efficient intervention strategies targeting multiple generations. Participants: RHINESSA includes study participants of multiple generations from ten study centres in Norway (1), Denmark (1), Sweden (3), Iceland (1), Estonia (1), Spain (2) and Australia (1). The RHINESSA core cohort, adult offspring generation 3 (G3), was first investigated in 2014-17 in a questionnaire study (N=8818, age 18-53 years) and a clinical study (subsample, n=1405). Their G2 parents participated in the population-based cohorts, European Community Respiratory Heath Survey and Respiratory Health In Northern Europe, followed since the early 1990s when they were 20-44 years old, at 8-10 years intervals. Study protocols are harmonised across generations. Findings to date Collected data include spirometry, skin prick tests, exhaled nitric oxide, anthropometrics, bioimpedance, blood pressure; questionnaire/interview data on respiratory/ general/reproductive health, indoor/outdoor environment, smoking, occupation, general characteristics and lifestyle; biobanked blood, urine, gingival fluid, skin swabs; measured specific and total IgE, DNA methylation, sex hormones and oral microbiome. Research results: suggest that parental environment years before conception, in particular, father’s exposures such as smoking and overweight, may be of key importance for asthma and lung function, and that there is an important susceptibility window in male prepuberty. Statistical analyses developed to approach causal inference suggest that these associations may be causal. DNA methylation studies suggest a mechanism for transfer of father’s exposures to offspring health and disease through impact on offspring DNA methylation. Future plans: Follow-up is planned at 5–8 years intervals, first in 2021-2023. Linkage with health registries contributes to follow-up of the cohort., Coordination of the RHINESSA study has received funding from the Research Council of Norway (Grants No. 274767, 214123, 228174, 230 827 and 273838), ERC StG project BRuSH #804199, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 633 212 (the ALEC Study WP2), the Bergen Medical Research Foundation, and the Western Norwegian Regional Health Authorities (Grants No. 912011, 911 892 and 911631). Study centres have further received local funding from the following: Bergen: the above grants for study establishment and co- ordination, and, in addition, World University Network (REF and Sustainability grants), Norwegian Labour Inspection, the Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association and Trond Mohn Foundation (Grant ID BFS2017TMT02). Albacete and Huelva: Sociedad Española de Patología Respiratoria (SEPAR) Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS PS09). Gøteborg, Umeå and Uppsala: the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association. Reykjavik: Iceland University. Melbourne: Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Project Grant ID1128450. Tartu: the Estonian Research Council (Grant No. PUT562). Århus: The Danish Wood Foundation (Grant No. 444508795), the Danish Working Environment Authority (Grant No. 20150067134), Aarhus University (PhD scholarship).The RHINE study received funding by Norwegian Research Council, Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association, Danish Lung Association, Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, Vårdal Foundation for Health CareHealthcare Science and Allergy Research, Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association, Icelandic Research Council, and Estonian Science Foundation. The RHINE IV ongoing study has received funding from the Research Council of Norway project Life- GAP grant No. 300 765.Co- ordination of the ECRHS study has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 633 212 (the ALEC study), the Medical Research Council (ECRHS III) and the European Commission FP5 and FP7 (ECRHS I and II). The ECRHS IV ongoing study in the ten RHINESSA study centres has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme projects EPHOR under grant agreement No. 874 703 and European Research Council (ERC) project BRuSH under grant agreement No. 804199, and from the Research Council of Norway grant No. 273 838. Funding agencies for ECRHS I, II and III are reported in online supplement.Coordination of the RHINESSA study has received funding from the Research Council of Norway (Grants No. 274767, 214123, 228174, 230 827 and 273838), ERC StG project BRuSH #804199, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 633 212 (the ALEC Study WP2), the Bergen Medical Research Foundation, and the Western Norwegian Regional Health Authorities (Grants No. 912011, 911 892 and 911631). Study centres have further received local funding from the following: Bergen: the above grants for study establishment and co-ordination, and, in addition, World University Network (REF and Sustainability grants), Norwegian Labour Inspection, the Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association and Trond Mohn Foundation (Grant ID BFS2017TMT02). Albacete and Huelva: Sociedad Española de Patología Respiratoria (SEPAR) Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS PS09). Gøteborg, Umeå and Uppsala: the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association. Reykjavik: Iceland University. Melbourne: Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Project Grant ID1128450. Tartu: the Estonian Research Council (Grant No. PUT562). Århus: The Danish Wood Foundation (Grant No. 444508795), the Danish Working Environment Authority (Grant No. 20150067134), Aarhus University (PhD scholarship).The RHINE study received funding by Norwegian Research Council, Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association, Danish Lung Association, Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, Vårdal Foundation for Health CareHealthcare Science and Allergy Research, Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association, Icelandic Research Council, and Estonian Science Foundation. The RHINE IV ongoing study has received funding from the Research Council of Norway project Life-GAP grant No. 300 765.Co-ordination of the ECRHS study has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 633 212 (the ALEC study), the Medical Research Council (ECRHS III) and the European Commission FP5 and FP7 (ECRHS I and II). The ECRHS IV ongoing study in the ten RHINESSA study centres has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme projects EPHOR under grant agreement No. 874 703 and European Research Council (ERC) project BRuSH under grant agreement No. 804199, and from the Research Council of Norway grant No. 273 838. Funding agencies for ECRHS I, II and III are reported in online supplement.

Objective: To provide an update on trends in asthma mortality in Brazil for two age groups: 0-4 years and 5-34 years. Methods: Data on mortality from asthma, as defined in the International Classification of Diseases, were obtained for the 1980-2014 period from the Mortality Database maintained by the Information Technology Department of the Brazilian Unified Health Care System. To analyze time trends in standardized asthma mortality rates, we conducted an ecological time-series study, using regression models for the 0- to 4-year and 5- to 34-year age groups. Results: There was a linear trend toward a decrease in asthma mortality in both age groups, whereas there was a third-order polynomial fit in the general population. Conclusions: Although asthma mortality showed a consistent, linear decrease in individuals ≤ 34 years of age, the rate of decline was greater in the 0- to 4-year age group. The 5- to 34-year group also showed a linear decline in mortality, and the rate of that decline increased after the year 2004, when treatment with inhaled corticosteroids became more widely available. The linear decrease in asthma mortality found in both age groups contrasts with the nonlinear trend observed in the general population of Brazil. The introduction of inhaled corticosteroid use through public policies to control asthma coincided with a significant decrease in asthma mortality rates in both subsets of individuals over 5 years of age. The causes of this decline in asthma-related mortality in younger age groups continue to constitute a matter of debate. RESUMO Objetivo: Apresentar uma atualização das tendências da mortalidade da asma no Brasil em duas faixas etárias: 0-4 anos e 5-34 anos Métodos: Dados relativos ao período de 1980 a 2014 referentes à mortalidade da asma, conforme se definiu na Classificação Internacional de Doenças, foram extraídos Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade do Departamento de Tecnologia da Informação do Sistema Único de Saúde. Para analisar as tendências temporais das taxas padronizadas de mortalidade da asma, realizou-se um estudo ecológico de séries temporais com modelos de regressão para as faixas etárias de 0 a 4 anos e 5 a 34 anos Resultados: Houve uma tendência linear de redução da mortalidade da asma em ambas as faixas etárias e uma tendência polinomial de terceira ordem na população geral Conclusões: Embora a mortalidade da asma tenha apresentado redução linear consistente em indivíduos com idade ≤ 34 anos, a taxa de declínio foi maior na faixa etária de 0 a 4 anos. A faixa etária de 5 a 34 anos também apresentou redução linear da mortalidade, e essa redução tornou-se mais pronunciada após o ano de 2004, quando o tratamento com corticosteroides inalatórios tornou-se mais amplamente disponível. A redução linear da mortalidade da asma em ambas as faixas etárias contrasta com a tendência não linear observada na população geral do Brasil. A introdução do uso de corticosteroides inalatórios por meio de políticas públicas de controle da asma coincidiu com uma diminuição significativa das taxas de mortalidade da asma em ambos os subgrupos de indivíduos com mais de 5 anos de idade. As causas dessa redução da mortalidade da asma em faixas etárias mais jovens ainda são objeto de debate.

Objective: To estimate the evolution of the prevalence of asthma and wheezing among schoolchildren in Brazil from 2012 to 2015, as well as to identify factors associated with both conditions. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using data from the Brazilian National School-Based Adolescent Health Survey for 2012 and 2015. To characterize the evolution of the prevalence of asthma and wheezing, we used linear regression with weighted-least-squares estimation and presented the annual percent change (APC). Results: During the study period, there was a reduction in the prevalence of wheezing, from 23.2% in 2012 to 22.4% in 2015 (APC, −0.27). The prevalence of asthma increased from 12.4% in 2012 to 16.0% in 2015 (APC, 1.20). The increase in the prevalence of asthma was greatest in the southern region of the country (APC, 2.17). Having any history of smoking and having consumed alcohol in the last 30 days were factors that influenced the prevalence of wheezing and the prevalence of a self-reported diagnosis of asthma during the two years evaluated. Conclusions: There has been an increase in the prevalence of asthma in recent years in Brazil. Our data underscore the importance of improving health strategies and policies aimed at the control of asthma. RESUMO Objetivo: Estimar a evolução da prevalência de asma e sibilância em escolares brasileiros nos anos de 2012 e 2015, bem como verificar fatores associados a ambas. Métodos: Estudo transversal utilizando dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar nos anos de 2012 e 2015. Para verificar a evolução das prevalências de asma e sibilância foi utilizada a regressão linear ponderada pelos quadrados mínimos da variância e apresentada a variação percentual anual (VPA). Resultados: Foi encontrada uma redução da prevalência de sibilância (de 23,2% em 2012 para 22,4% em 2015; VPA: −0,27). A prevalência de asma aumentou de 12,4% em 2012 para 16,0% em 2015 (VPA: 1,20). O maior aumento na prevalência de asma ocorreu na região Sul do país (VPA: 2,17). Ter fumado alguma vez na vida e ter ingerido álcool nos últimos 30 dias foram fatores que influenciaram tanto na prevalência de sibilância quanto na prevalência de diagnóstico referido de asma nos dois anos da pesquisa. Conclusões: Este estudo evidenciou o aumento na prevalência de asma nos últimos anos. Esses dados ressaltam a importância de melhoria das estratégias e políticas de saúde voltadas para o controle da asma.

Background Comorbidity patterns of childhood infections, atopic diseases, and adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are related to immune system programming conditions. The aim of this study was to make a step beyond the hygiene hypothesis and to comprehensively classify these patterns with latent class analysis (LCA). A second aim was to characterize the classes by associations with immunological, clinical, and sociodemographic variables. Methods LCA was applied to data from the CoLaus|PsyCoLaus study (N = 4874, age range 35–82 years) separately for men and women. It was based on survey information on chickenpox, measles, mumps, rubella, herpes simplex, pertussis, scarlet fever, hay fever, asthma, eczema, urticaria, drug allergy, interparental violence, parental maltreatment, and trauma in early childhood. Subsequently, we examined how immune-mediated classes were reflected in leukocyte counts, inflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, hsCRP), chronic inflammatory diseases, and mental disorders, and how they differed across social classes and birth cohorts. Results LCA results with five classes were selected for further analysis. Latent classes were similar in both sexes and were labeled according to their associations as neutral, resilient, atopic, mixed (comprising infectious and atopic diseases), and ACE class. They came across with specific differences in biomarker levels. Mental disorders typically displayed increased lifetime prevalence rates in the atopic, the mixed, and the ACE classes, and decreased rates in the resilient class. The same patterns were apparent in chronic inflammatory diseases, except that the ACE class was relevant specifically in women but not in men. Conclusions This is the first study to systematically determine immune-mediated classes that evolve early in life. They display characteristic associations with biomarker levels and somatic and psychiatric diseases occurring later in life. Moreover, they show different distributions across social classes and allow to better understand the mechanisms beyond the changes in the prevalence of chronic somatic and psychiatric diseases.

INTRODUCTION: The use of antibiotics prenatally, during pregnancy, or neonatally may have adverse effects on the neonatal gut microbiome, and adversely affect the development of the infant immune system, leading to childhood atopy, asthma, allergy and obesity. Areas covered: Vaginal eubiosis and dysbiosis from molecular-based, cultivation-independent techniques, and how this affects the neonatal gut microbiome and early development of the immune system, the association between maternal antibiotics and the beneficial role of vitamin D in the development of atopy, asthma, allergy and obesity, efforts to reduce the use of antibiotics in pregnancy and therapeutic interventions such as vaginal 'seeding', probiotics, breastfeeding and neonatal dietary supplementation. Expert opinion: Currently available research gives insufficient attention to confounding variables. There remains uncertainty as to whether it is relevant that the mother suffered from the same condition as the purported infant outcome variable, for which she may have received antibiotics. In most studies, there is a lack of control for the number of antibiotic courses administered, the timing of use, the use of broad spectrum or narrow range antibiotics, the indication for antibiotics, the dose-dependent nature of the effect, the class of antibiotics used, or a varying degree of risk.

Background Studies have shown that airway obstruction and increased bronchial reactivity are present in early life in children developing asthma, which challenges the dogma that airway inflammation leads to low lung function. Further studies are needed to explore whether low lung function and bronchial hyperreactivity are inherent traits increasing the risk of developing airway inflammation and asthmatic symptoms in order to establish timely primary preventive initiatives. Methods and findings We investigated 367 (89%) of the 411 children from the at-risk Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood 2000 (COPSAC2000) birth cohort born to mothers with asthma, who were assessed by spirometry and bronchial reactivity to methacholine from age 1 month, plethysmography and bronchial reversibility from age 3 years, cold dry air hyperventilation from age 4 years, and exercise challenge at age 7 years. The COPSAC pediatricians diagnosed and treated asthma based on symptom load, response to inhaled corticosteroid, and relapse after treatment withdrawal according to a standardized algorithm. Repeated measures mixed models were applied to analyze lung function trajectories in children with asthma ever or never at age 1 month to 13 years. The number of children ever versus never developing asthma in their first 13 years of life was 97 (27%) versus 270 (73%), respectively. Median age at diagnosis was 2.0 years (IQR 1.2–5.7), and median remission age was 6.2 years (IQR 4.2–7.8). Children with versus without asthma had reduced lung function (z-score difference, forced expiratory volume, −0.31 [95% CI −0.47; −0.15], p < 0.001), increased airway resistance (z-score difference, specific airway resistance, +0.40 [95% CI +0.24; +0.56], p < 0.001), increased bronchial reversibility (difference in change in forced expiratory volume in the first second [ΔFEV1], +3% [95% CI +2%; +4%], p < 0.001), increased reactivity to methacholine (z-score difference for provocative dose, −0.40 [95% CI −0.58; −0.22], p < 0.001), decreased forced expiratory volume at cold dry air challenge (ΔFEV1, −4% [95% CI −7%; −1%], p < 0.01), and decreased forced expiratory volume after exercise (ΔFEV1, −4% [95% CI −7%; −1%], p = 0.02). Both airway obstruction and bronchial hyperreactivity were present before symptom debut, independent of disease duration, and did not improve with symptom remission. The generalizability of these findings may be limited by the high-risk nature of the cohort (all mothers had a diagnosis of asthma), the modest study size, and limited ethnic variation. Conclusions Children with asthma at some point at age 1 month to 13 years had airway obstruction and bronchial hyperreactivity before symptom debut, which did not worsen with increased asthma symptom duration or attenuate with remission. This suggests that airway obstruction and bronchial hyperreactivity are stable traits of childhood asthma since neonatal life, implying that symptomatic disease may in part be a consequence of these traits but not their cause., Hans Bisgaard and colleagues analyze cohort data for evidence as to whether symptomatic asthma is the cause or consequence of early-life airway obstruction and bronchial hyperreactivity., Author summary Why was this study done? It is believed that asthma develops from inflammation in the lungs that leads to loss of lung function, but low lung function may be an inherent trait in children at risk of asthma instead of a consequence of inflammation. It is important to explore whether low lung function is an inherent trait that increases the risk of developing airway inflammation and asthma in order to establish primary preventive initiatives for low lung function. What did the researchers do and find? Ninety-seven children who developed asthma and 270 children without asthma from the Danish COPSAC2000 birth cohort born to mothers with asthma were studied extensively with longitudinal lung function measurements from age 1 month to 13 years. Lung function was measured by spirometry from age 1 month and plethysmography from age 3 years, including assessments of bronchial reversibility to inhaled β2-agonist from age 3 years. Bronchial reactivity was assessed by methacholine challenge from age 1 month, cold dry air hyperventilation from age 4 years, and exercise challenge at age 7 years. Children developing asthma had reduced lung function from age 1 month throughout childhood compared to the children without asthma. The lung function deficit was present before the children developed asthma, did not progress with symptoms, and remained even if symptoms ceased. What do these findings mean? Low lung function appears to begin in early childhood in a group of children who will develop asthma. The lung function trait is established prior to development of airway inflammation and asthma, and does not worsen with increased duration of asthma symptoms. As airway obstruction and increased bronchial reactivity manifest as early as 1 month of age, it is possible that preventive measures undertaken during pregnancy will be most effective.

Objectives This study was designed to examine the association between loss-of-function mutations in the filaggrin gene (FLG) and atopic dermatitis (AD) and asthma in adult twins. Methods A previously well-characterized cohort of 575 adult twins were genotyped for the loss-of-function mutations in FLG (R501X, 2282del4 and R2447X) most common among northern Europeans. Subjects were examined for symptoms of atopic diseases as well as for lung function, airway responsiveness, and atopy. Results In the whole population of twins, the risk for AD was significantly increased in individuals with FLG mutations in comparison with wild-type carriers (34.3% vs. 21.8%) after adjustment for possible confounders (odds ratio [OR] 1.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07–3.41; P = 0.028). A significant association was also observed for persistent AD (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.02–4.36; P = 0.046). There were no significant differences in risk for asthma by FLG mutation status in individuals with and without AD, respectively (P-value for interaction, 0.595). In 11 dizygotic twin pairs discordant for FLG mutation status, risk for AD was higher in the twin carrying the FLG mutation (five of 11 [45.5%] twins had developed AD) than in the non-carrier co-twin (two of 11 [18.2%] twins had developed AD) (OR 2.50, 95% CI 0.45–13.85; P = 0.293). FLG status did not explain a significant proportion of the variation in AD (P = 0.328) or asthma (P = 0.321). Conclusions Filaggrin gene mutations are risk factors for the presence and persistence of AD and explain the discordance of AD within dizygotic twin pairs.

Objective : To present the Programa Infantil de Prevenção de Asma (PIPA, Program for the Prevention of Childhood Asthma) and the characteristics of the patients followed in this program. Methods : Implemented in the city of Uruguaiana, Brazil, PIPA has as its target population children and adolescents (< 18 years of age) with asthma or suspected asthma. Patients either enroll in PIPA spontaneously or are referred by pediatricians or primary care physicians. In this retrospective study, we use a standardized protocol to assess PIPA patients. Results : By the end of the study period, 646 patients were being followed. Of those, 298 (46.1%) were ≤ 3 years of age. In this group of patients, recurrent wheezing was identified in 60.7%, and the first episode of wheezing occurred in the first six months of life in 86.0%. Severe wheezing was identified in 29.5% and 45.4% in the children ≤ 3 and > 3 years of age, respectively. Physician-diagnosed asthma was reported in 26.5% and 82.2%, respectively. In the sample as a whole, the prevalence of passive smoking was high (> 36%), occurring during pregnancy in > 15%; > 40% of the patients had been born by cesarean section; and 30% had a mother who had had < 8 years of schooling. Conclusions : A prevention program for children with asthma is an effective strategy for controlling the disease. Knowledge of local epidemiological and environmental characteristics is essential to reducing the prevalence of the severe forms of asthma, to improving the use of health resources, and to preventing pulmonary changes that could lead to COPD in adulthood.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing interest in the possible link between maternal hypothyroidism in the perinatal period and childhood asthma risk. We explored this in the present study while accounting for the timing of hypothyroidism diagnosis. Further, we evaluated whether the risk was moderated by thyroid hormone treatment during pregnancy.METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study using Danish national registers. All liveborn singletons in Denmark from 1998 to 2007 were identified. Maternal hypothyroidism and asthma in the children were defined by data from the Patient Register and Prescription Registry. We estimated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of asthma among children born to hypothyroid mothers versus children born to mothers with no recorded thyroid dysfunction using Poisson regression models.RESULTS: Of 595,669 children, 3,524 children were born to mothers with hypothyroidism diagnosed before delivery and 4,664 diagnosed after delivery. Overall 48,990 children received treatment for asthma. The IRRs of asthma was 1.16 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-1.30) and 1.12 (95% CI: 1.02-1.24) for children born to mothers with hypothyroidism diagnosed before and after delivery, compared to children born to mothers with no thyroid dysfunction. The highest risk was observed among children born to mothers with hypothyroidism diagnosed before delivery who did not receive thyroid hormone treatment during pregnancy (IRR=1.37, 95% CI: 1.04-1.80).CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that maternal hypothyroidism, especially when it is untreated, increases childhood asthma risk. Early detection and appropriate treatment of hypothyroidism in pregnant women may be an area for possible prevention of childhood asthma. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Background - Cross‐sectional studies suggested that allergy prevalence in childhood is higher in boys compared to girls, but it remains unclear whether this inequality changes after puberty. We examined the sex‐specific prevalence of asthma and rhinitis as single and as multimorbid diseases before and after puberty onset in longitudinal cohort data. Methods - In six European population‐based birth cohorts of MeDALL, we assessed the outcomes: current rhinitis, current asthma, current allergic multimorbidity (ie, concurrent asthma and rhinitis), puberty status and allergic sensitization by specific serum antibodies (immunoglobulin E) against aero‐allergens. With generalized estimating equations, we analysed the effects of sex, age, puberty (yes/no) and possible confounders on the prevalence of asthma and rhinitis, and allergic multimorbidity in each cohort separately and performed individual participant data meta‐analysis. Findings - We included data from 19 013 participants from birth to age 14‐20 years. Current rhinitis only affected girls less often than boys before and after puberty onset: adjusted odds ratio for females vs males 0.79 (95%‐confidence interval 0.73‐0.86) and 0.86 (0.79‐0.94), respectively (sex‐puberty interaction P = .089). Similarly, for current asthma only, females were less often affected than boys both before and after puberty onset: 0.71, 0.63‐0.81 and 0.81, 0.64‐1.02, respectively (sex‐puberty interaction P = .327). The prevalence of allergic multimorbidity showed the strongest sex effect before puberty onset (female‐male‐OR 0.55, 0.46‐0.64) and a considerable shift towards a sex‐balanced prevalence after puberty onset (0.89, 0.74‐1.04); sex‐puberty interaction: P < .001. Interpretation - The male predominance in prevalence before puberty and the “sex‐shift” towards females after puberty onset were strongest in multimorbid patients who had asthma and rhinitis concurrently. European Union under the Health Cooperation Work Programme of the 7th Framework Programme. Grant Number: 261357

International audience; The overarching goals of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) are to enable European citizens to lead healthy, active and independent lives whilst ageing. The EIP on AHA includes 74 Reference Sites. The aim of this study was to transfer innovation from an app developed by the MACVIA-France EIP on AHA reference site (Allergy Diary) to other reference sites. The phenotypic characteristics of rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity in adults and the elderly will be compared using validated information and communication technology (ICT) tools (i.e. the Allergy Diary and CARAT: Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test) in 22 Reference Sites or regions across Europe. This will improve the understanding, assessment of burden, diagnosis and management of rhinitis in the elderly by comparison with an adult population. Specific objectives will be: (i) to assess the percentage of adults and elderly who are able to use the Allergy Diary, (ii) to study the phenotypic characteristics and treatment over a 1-year period of rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity at baseline (cross-sectional study) and (iii) to follow-up using visual analogue scale (VAS). This part of the study may provide some insight into the differences between the elderly and adults in terms of response to treatment and practice. Finally (iv) work productivity will be examined in adults.

There are increasing numbers of emergency medical paediatric admissions. Our hypothesis was that characteristics of children and details of their emergency admissions are also changing over time. Details of emergency admissions in Scotland 2000–2013 were analysed. There were 574,403 emergency admissions, median age 2.3 years. The age distribution, proportion of boys and socioeconomic status of children admitted were essentially unchanged. Emergency admissions rose by 49% from 36/1000 children per annum to 54/1000 between 2000 and 2013. Emergency admissions that were discharged on the same day rose by 186% from 8.6/1000 to 24.6/1000. The mean duration of emergency admission fell from 1.7 to 1.0 days. The odds for an emergency admission with upper respiratory infection, “viral infection”, tonsillitis, bronchiolitis and lower respiratory tract infection all rose. In contrast the odds for an emergency admission with asthma and gastroenteritis fell. Conclusions: The demographics of children with emergency admissions have not changed substantially but characteristics of admissions have changed considerably, in particular admissions which are short stay and due to respiratory infection are much more common. The fall in the absolute number of children with some acute medical diagnoses suggests that the rise in admissions is not necessarily inexorable. What is Known: • Emergency admission prevalence is rising in many countries across Europe. What is New: • Our paper is the first to comprehensively analyse emergency medical paediatric admissions by exploring how characteristics of admissions and the children admitted have changed over time for a whole population. • The “take home message” is that whilst characteristics of emergency admissions have changed (e.g. number, duration of stay, readmissions, diagnoses), the characteristics of the children have not changed. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00431-017-3064-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: Observational studies have shown that body mass index (BMI) is positively associated with asthma. However, observational data are prone to confounding and reverse causation. In Mendelian randomization, genetic variants are used as unconfounded markers of exposures to examine causal effects. We examined the causal effect of BMI on asthma, hay fever, allergic sensitization, serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE), forced expiratory volume in one-second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). Methods: We included 490 497 participants in the observational and 162 124 participants in the genetic analyses. A genetic risk score (GRS) was created using 26 BMI-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Results were pooled in meta-analyses and expressed as odds ratios (ORs) or β-estimates with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The GRS was significantly associated with asthma (OR=1.009; 95% CI: 1.004, 1.013), but not with hay fever (OR= 0.998; 95% CI: 0.994, 1.002) or allergic sensitization (OR=0.999; 95% CI: 0.986, 1.012) per BMI-increasing allele. The GRS was significantly associated with decrease in FEV1: β=−0.0012 (95% CI: −0.0019, −0.0006) and FVC: β=−0.0022 (95% CI: −0.0031, −0.0014) per BMI-increasing allele. Effect sizes estimated by instrumental variable analyses were OR=1.07 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.10) for asthma, a 9 ml decrease in FEV1 (95% CI: 2.0-15 mL decrease) and a 16 ml decrease in FVC (95% CI: 7.0-24 mL decrease) per 1 kg/m 2 higher BMI. Conclusions: The results support the conclusion that increasing BMI is causally related to higher prevalence of asthma and decreased lung function, but not with hay fever or biomarkers of allergy.